Trenton's 22nd homicide victim was high-ranking gangster

TRENTON — City police are investigating a shooting that left an alleged high-ranking Bloods gangster dead.

Police said that 24-year-old Quaadir “Ace” Gurley was shot to death on the 100 block of Rossell Avenue in the Donnelly Homes Housing Project around 1:33 a.m.

Trenton police Lt. Stephen Varn said Gurley, was shot on a porch of a residence in the housing project and was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

Varn said Gurley succumbed to his wounds while at the medical center. It’s unclear as to how many shots were fired, but police sources said Gurley was struck multiple times.

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Varn said that the motive in the shooting is unknown. The only description of a suspect was that of a black male wearing a white shirt.

Further information regarding the exact circumstances of the shooting was not immediately available as police are actively investigating the homicide.

Gurley is no stranger to Trenton Police however, he’d been arrested during a drug raid in 2009 at Rowan Towers and shot behind the same apartment complex in 2012.

In 2009, he was among five people arrested in a Rowan Towers apartment raid. Police said in 2009 that Quaadir was known to be a member of the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods. In that raid Gurley was charged with narcotics and weapons offenses.

Gurley was shot near Rowan Towers in February of 2012 and spent several days at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in critical condition, he was subsequently arrested on drug charges after being released from treatment.

According to photos on Gurley’s Facebook profile, he spent much of his time in the area of Rowan Towers and appears in front of recent shooting scenes including one near Hermitage Avenue.

Other photos show the 24-year-old with large amounts cash splayed out in front of him. Police would not speculate if the shooting was gang related on Sunday.

Another man, a 19-year-old, was also injured in an early morning shooting on the first block Sanhican Drive. He was shot in the leg and transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

Though both shootings happened minutes apart, Varn said the shootings do not appear to be connected but police are investigating potential connections.

Gurley becomes the city’s 22nd homicide this year. By this point last year there were 10 homicides in Trenton with the total number of people killed at 24.

Roughly 130 people have been shot since the beginning of the year, that number includes 17 of Trenton’s murder victims.

Anyone with information regarding the crimes can call the Trenton Police confidential tipline at (609) 989-3663 or the Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477.

Those wishing to text a tip regarding the crimes can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.